1. Today’s commercial world
With so much uncertainty brewing, Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership urged delegates have a clear eye on their future plans and not worry about what they’re not able to control. Meanwhile Martin Alcock, director of the Travel Trade Consultancy, highlighted the number of shrinking Atol holders, with nearly 250 businesses falling out of the sector between October 2019 and October 2022. He also pointed out consolidation in the package holiday market (the big are getting bigger, the smaller falling behind), but, he insisted, there are still reasons to be positive – with consumers still spending on travel, up 32% in October. As cost of living pressures grow however, consumer confidence is clearly becoming an issue. Alcock advised delegates to focus marketing spend on the here and now: “The big guys aren’t waiting for January, they’re advertising now, so be aware of this because there will be a halo effect, driving desire to travel now.”
2. The lessons learned from ‘Black Swans’
A panel discussion about “Black Swans” (rare events that have a severe impact, which should have been blindingly obvious with the benefit of hindsight) included a welcome contribution from the CAA. Head of operations aviation & travel, Michael Budge, assured delegates the CAA wanted to be seen as an approachable regulator that engages with SMEs: “Let’s have that dialogue throughout the year, not just once a year around renewals.” Becky Cackett, solicitor, MB Law urged delegates to build on strong supplier relationships but cement those with clearly written terms and conditions.
3. Ex Kuoni boss Derek Jones proves adventure can be found anywhere…
In an entertaining one-to-one chat on stage with conference moderator Jono Vernon-Powell, former Der Touristik chief executive Derek Jones reflected on how starting out as an overseas travel rep took him to the very top of the travel tree – he wasn’t the only one to mourn the demise of a model that shaped the careers of so many travel stalwarts. He also encouraged delegates not to wait for the next crisis to lobby government – use the quiet time now when you’ll be better heard. And he was particularly proud of his unusual accommodation choice for WTM London this year – his own campervan. It proved, Jones said, that adventure can be found everywhere – even in London’s Docklands.
4. Travel is (finally) talking about the menopause
There was a twinkle in his eye when Ricardo Dinis, UK manager for TAP, summarised his conference highlights on stage as “People, Partnerships, Connections… and Menopause,” but it speaks volumes how far we’ve come with the conversation that it was mentioned several times on stage over the course of conference. Aito was widely praised for offering a safe space for women and men to talk about the menopause, as part of a recruitment panel which urged delegates to look after their staff, “your most important asset,” said Barbara Kolosinska, manging director, C&M Recruitment.
5. We are stronger together
The power of partnerships was a thread running throughout the conference programme, reinforcing the benefits of working together and leaning on one another, a particularly pertinent message for the smaller businesses that make up Aito. Chris Photi, head of travel and leisure at White Hart Associates, urged delegates to ditch fair-weather partners. Raj Mistry, Carrier’s national partnerships manager, talked about the importance of agent partners for Carrier, and reflected that the operator’s trade partnerships were stronger post-pandemic because the company had done the right by agents regarding refunds in the pandemic: “We’re using that goodwill to gain new referrals now,” he said.
6. Honest disclosures and group therapy
Aito has always promoted itself as a family and at times it felt like group therapy as business owners and managers of small-to-medium-sized enterprises talked about their struggles of the past few years. Bridget Keevil, Travel Stop, earned a round of sustained applause when she talked about the pressures of being business partner-less during the pandemic, with staff relying on her to guide to lead them out of trouble. “When I saw Tui reporting they were 100% up that month, but I hadn’t sold a thing, when I talked to other agents who hadn’t sold anything either, it made me feel better,” she admitted. “It was really important I had people to talk things through.”
7. Positivity is contagious
While there was a spirit of brothers-in-arms retelling their war tales, there was also an incredible amount of positivity in the room. Wrapping up her highlights on stage, Lynn Hughes, founding editor of Wanderlust, said: “I’ve been to a lot of events and this is the one, where, even having been through the blackest days, that positive, can-do spirit really comes through.” Matt Gatenby, senior partner at TravLaw, concluded: “I feel good about the future. We’ve learnt so much. Yes, there are challenges ahead but we’ve faced economic and recruitment challenges before. I’m not saying let’s face another pandemic now, but if we had to, well, we’re wiser now.”
8. Aito is targeting new members
Talking about Aito’s future plans, chairman Chris Rowse said the association wanted to become the voice of SME travel businesses with aims to expand membership to 150-plus by 2026: “We had to look after our own survival in Covid,” he admitted. “We’re undertaking a strategic review to reaffirm our values – how can we better support you for the travel of tomorrow? We have to expand the association, it’s the key to everything. If we get that done, everything else will flow and we will thrive.”
9. Sustainable tourism a focus for Aito - and Portugal
Stakeholders from across Visit Portugal spoke about the tourist board’s vision of becoming one of the most sustainable tourism destinations in the world, which aligned with Aito’s messaging that the organisation is focused on its sustainable path, one we should all be running along, not walking. In the last three years Aito has worked hard to provide members with sustainable business advice and collaborating with fellow stakeholders in the industry. Striving to reach Net Zero across the Aito family, it has devised toolkits for members, ranging from modern slavery to plastics reduction and writing a climate action plan. “We want to share these with as many people as we possibly can,” said Rowles.
10. Braga, a surprise discovery
Aito traditionally has always chosen destinations with character, and Braga didn’t disappoint. It was a surprise to most delegates that it’s actually Portugal’s third largest city, and just an hour’s drive from Porto, it’s very accessible. The host hotel was Vila Gale Collection Braga, a former hospital dating back to 1508, well positioned for walking tours of the atmospheric old quarter and its collection of religious buildings, cobbled streets and boutique shops. Saturday afternoon’s excursions took delegates to nearby vineyards, medieval towns, a walking trail along the coast, a traditional jewellery workshop and a local sardines factory. A few of that group may just have regretted staying longer at the late night bar ahead of that one….
